Engineered BioPharmaceuticals says grants will make it possible to expand in Danville

Engineered BioPharmaceuticals in Danville has received two grants that will allow the company to expand in three years to a larger manufacturing site, creating about 100 new jobs. The Office of Economic Development in Danville said Wednesday that the pharmaceutical processing company has received a $3 million research grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and a $3million grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

The company, now located in the Dan River Business Development Center, has 11 employees. It’s working on new drug delivery technologies, including engineered, dry-power pharmaceuticals that can extend a product’s shelf-life and are more consumer friendly than injectable drugs. The company says dry-powder delivery also can make critical vaccines available for mass distribution and administration during times of national need.